U.S. patent number 10,064,763 [Application Number 14/368,987] was granted by the patent office on 2018-09-04 for absorbent article with elastic members.
This patent grant is currently assigned to LIVEDO CORPORATION. The grantee listed for this patent is LIVEDO CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Emi Amano, Yuki Takahashi, Tomohito Uda.
United States Patent |
10,064,763 |
Takahashi , et al. |
September 4, 2018 |
Absorbent article with elastic members
Abstract
A pants-type disposable diaper includes a pair of strip
projecting parts projecting laterally from a line of connection
between front and rear parts located respectively on the belly and
back sides of a wearer, a first waist elastic member joined to a
first waist region that is an upper part of a waist region
extending along a waist opening, and a second waist elastic member
joined to a second waist region that is a lower part of the waist
region. In a state in which an outer covering sheet is elongated in
a right-left direction, a first unit contractile force that is a
contractile force in the right-left direction per unit width of the
first waist region in an up-down direction is smaller than a second
unit contractile force in the second waist region.
Inventors: |
Takahashi; Yuki (Tokushima,
JP), Amano; Emi (Tokushima, JP), Uda;
Tomohito (Osaka, JP) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
LIVEDO CORPORATION |
Ehime |
N/A |
JP |
|
|
Assignee: |
LIVEDO CORPORATION (Ehime,
JP)
|
Family
ID: |
48697008 |
Appl.
No.: |
14/368,987 |
Filed: |
November 29, 2012 |
PCT
Filed: |
November 29, 2012 |
PCT No.: |
PCT/JP2012/080876 |
371(c)(1),(2),(4) Date: |
June 26, 2014 |
PCT
Pub. No.: |
WO2013/099510 |
PCT
Pub. Date: |
July 04, 2013 |
Prior Publication Data
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|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20140358110 A1 |
Dec 4, 2014 |
|
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
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Dec 28, 2011 [JP] |
|
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2011-287454 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61F
13/49058 (20130101); A61F 13/49011 (20130101); A61F
13/496 (20130101); A61F 2013/49088 (20130101); A61F
2013/49041 (20130101); A61F 2013/49092 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61F
13/15 (20060101); A61F 13/49 (20060101); A61F
13/20 (20060101); A61F 13/496 (20060101) |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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0806196 |
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Nov 1997 |
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EP |
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0806196 |
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Mar 1999 |
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EP |
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1661538 |
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May 2006 |
|
EP |
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2001-178770 |
|
Jul 2001 |
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JP |
|
2006-061682 |
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Mar 2006 |
|
JP |
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2007-97643 |
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Apr 2007 |
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JP |
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2007-143874 |
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Jun 2007 |
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JP |
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2007-195647 |
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Aug 2007 |
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JP |
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2008-543525 |
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Dec 2008 |
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JP |
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2009-18095 |
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Jan 2009 |
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JP |
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2009-125087 |
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Jun 2009 |
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JP |
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2009-125088 |
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Jun 2009 |
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JP |
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2009-240694 |
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Oct 2009 |
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JP |
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2010-069023 |
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Apr 2010 |
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JP |
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2010-273962 |
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Dec 2010 |
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JP |
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4943158 |
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Mar 2012 |
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JP |
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10-2007-0086694 |
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Aug 2007 |
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KR |
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10-2008-0007475 |
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Jan 2008 |
|
KR |
|
10-2011-0021992 |
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Mar 2011 |
|
KR |
|
Other References
International Preliminary Report on Patentability for PCT Patent
App. No. PCT/JP2012/080876 (dated Jul. 1, 2014) with English
language translation thereof. cited by applicant .
International Search Report for PCT Patent App. No.
PCT/JP2012/080876 (dated Jan. 29, 2013). cited by applicant .
Written Opinion for PCT Patent App. No. PCT/JP2012/080876 (dated
Jan. 29, 2013). cited by applicant .
Notice of Decision to Grant a Patent for Korean Patent App. No.
10-2014-7019147 (dated Sep. 22, 2015). cited by applicant .
Supplementary European Search Report for European Patent App. No.
12861239.7 (dated Aug. 10, 2015). cited by applicant .
Notice of Decision to Grant a Patent from Taiwanese Patent App. No.
101144927 (dated Nov. 6, 2014). cited by applicant.
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Primary Examiner: Kidwell; Michele M
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Cermak Nakajima & McGowan LLP
Nakajima; Tomoko
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. A pants-type absorbent article comprising: an outer covering
sheet having a waist opening at an upper end and a pair of leg
openings in a lower portion; and an absorbent body attached to a
wearer side of said outer covering sheet to absorb body waste
discharged from a wearer, said absorbent body including a top
sheet, a back sheet, and an absorbent core disposed between said
top sheet and said back sheet, wherein said outer covering sheet
includes: a front part to be located on a belly side of said
wearer; a rear part to be located on a back side of said wearer,
both side ends of said rear part being connected to both side ends
of said front part; a crotch part continuous with said front part
and said rear part; a pair of strip projecting parts formed by
joining inner surfaces of areas of said front part that are
laterally continuous with said both side ends of said front part
and inner surfaces of areas of said rear part that are laterally
continuous with said both side ends of said rear part, each of said
pair of strip projecting parts having a strip-like shape that
extends in an up-down direction and projecting laterally from a
line of connection between said front part and said rear part; a
waist elastic member joined to said front part and said rear part
in a waist region located along an edge of said waist opening, and
configured to contract to form a waist opening gather; leg elastic
members joined to said crotch part along edges of said pair of leg
openings and configured to contract to form a pair of leg opening
gathers; and a middle elastic member joined to said front part and
said rear part in a space in said up-down direction between said
waist elastic member and said leg elastic members, and configured
to contract to form a middle gather, said waist elastic member
includes: a first waist elastic member disposed approximately in
parallel with said edge of said waist opening in a first waist
region that is an upper part of said waist region; and a second
waist elastic member disposed approximately in parallel with said
first waist elastic member in a second waist region that is a
region of said waist region below said first waist region, wherein
said first waist elastic member, said second waist elastic member
and said middle elastic member are all in contact with a same sheet
included in said outer covering sheet and are located above upper
ends of said top sheet and said back sheet of said absorbent body,
and in a state in which said outer covering sheet is elongated in a
right-left direction perpendicular to said up-down direction, a
first unit contractile force that is a contractile force in said
right-left direction per unit width of said first waist region in
said up-down direction is smaller than a second unit contractile
force that is a contractile force in said right-left direction per
unit width of said second waist region in said up-down
direction.
2. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein said waist
region has a width of 50 mm or less in said up-down direction.
3. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein said outer
covering sheet includes a folded portion formed by folding said
outer covering sheet toward a wearer at said edge of said waist
opening, and said waist elastic member is disposed between said
folded portion and a portion of said outer covering sheet that
faces said folded portion.
4. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein said waist
region is formed by laminating a plurality of sheet members, and
the number of sheet members in said first waist region is less than
the number of sheet members in said second waist region.
5. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein said first
unit contractile force is 70% or less of said second unit
contractile force.
6. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein said first
waist elastic member includes a plurality of first elastic threads
that are arranged in said up-down direction and each extend
approximately in parallel with said edge of said waist opening,
said second waist elastic member includes a plurality of second
elastic threads that are arranged in said up-down direction and
each extend approximately in parallel with said plurality of first
elastic threads, and a pitch in said up-down direction between said
plurality of first elastic threads is greater than a pitch in said
up-down direction between said plurality of second elastic
threads.
7. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein an
elongation rate of said first waist elastic member when joined to
said first waist region is lower than an elongation rate of said
second waist elastic member when joined to said second waist
region.
8. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein said first
waist elastic member has a lower elastic modulus than an elastic
modulus of said second waist elastic member.
9. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein said first
waist elastic member has a lower fineness than a fineness of said
second waist elastic member.
10. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein said outer
covering sheet includes an auxiliary region between said second
waist region and a middle elastic region in which said middle
elastic member is disposed, and in a state in which said outer
covering sheet is elongated in said right-left direction, a
contractile force in said right-left direction per unit width of
said auxiliary region in said up-down direction is smaller than any
of a contractile force in said right-left direction per unit width
of said middle elastic region in said up-down direction, said first
unit contractile force, and said second unit contractile force.
11. The absorbent article according to claim 10, wherein said
auxiliary region has no elastic member disposed therein.
12. The absorbent article according to claim 10, wherein said
auxiliary region is visually recognizable.
13. The absorbent article according to claim 10, wherein said
middle elastic member includes: a first middle elastic member
disposed approximately in parallel with said edge of said waist
opening in a first middle elastic region that is an upper part of
said middle elastic region; and a second middle elastic member
disposed approximately in parallel with said first middle elastic
member in a second middle elastic region that is a region of said
middle elastic region below said first middle elastic region, and
in a state in which said outer covering sheet is elongated in said
right-left direction, a contractile force in said right-left
direction per unit width of said first middle elastic region in
said up-down direction is greater than a contractile force in said
right-left direction per unit width of said second middle elastic
region in said up-down direction.
14. The absorbent article according to claim 13, wherein in a state
in which said outer covering sheet is elongated in said right-left
direction, the contractile force in said right-left direction per
unit width of said first middle elastic region in said up-down
direction is approximately equal to said second unit contractile
force.
Description
This application is a national phase entry under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.
371 of PCT Patent Application No. PCT/JP2012/080876, filed on Nov.
29, 2012, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 119 to
Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-287454, filed Dec. 28, 2011,
both of which are incorporated by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a pants-type absorbent
article.
BACKGROUND ART
Pants-type disposable diapers having a waist opening at the top end
and a pair of leg openings in the lower portion have conventionally
been used as one type of absorbent articles for receiving body
waste discharged from a wearer. In front and rear parts of a
pants-type disposable diaper that are located respectively on the
belly and back sides of the wearer, a waist elastic member is
provided along the edge of the waist opening. In a crotch part
located between the front and rear parts, leg elastic members are
provided along the edges of the pair of leg openings. In the front
and rear parts, a middle elastic member is also provided between
the waist elastic member and the leg elastic members in an up-down
direction.
In a pants-type disposable diaper disclosed in Japanese Patent
Application Laid-Open No. 2009-240694 (Document 1), front and rear
parts located on the belly and back sides of a wearer are divided
into a first expansible region that is located in the vicinity of
the edge of a waist opening, a second expansible region that is
located adjacent to the first expansible region and crosses a front
end portion of an absorptive chassis, and third expansible regions
that are located adjacent to the second expansible region and on
both sides of the absorptive chassis. Setting the elongation stress
of the second expansible region to be equal to or greater than that
of the first expansible region suppresses the formation of creases
in the second expansible region and the front end portion of the
absorptive chassis due to the effect of elongation of the first
expansible region when the wearer bends forward.
In pants-type absorbent articles disclosed in Japanese Patent
Application Laid-Open Nos. 2009-125088 (Document 2) and 2009-125087
(Document 3), front and rear parts are divided into four strip-like
regions of the same width that extend in the width direction, the
four strip-like regions being referred to respectively as a first
region, a second region, a third region, and a fourth region in
order from the top. In the pants-type absorbent article disclosed
in Document 2, the contractile forces in the respective regions are
set such that the second region has a greater contractile force
than those of the first and third regions, and the fourth region
has a greater contractile force than that of the third region. In
this way, setting a greater contractile force in the second and
fourth regions where the wearer has bones that protrude to the
surface of his or her body suppresses slipping off of the absorbent
article, and setting a smaller contractile force in the first
region that shifts greatly due to movement of the wearer makes the
absorbent article more comfortable to wear. In Document 3, which
aims to provide a pants-type disposable diaper capable of
preventing slipping-off and being very comfortable to wear, the
second and fourth regions are set to have an average contractile
force greater than that of the third region, the fourth region on
the belly side is set to have a contractile force greater than that
of the forth region on the back side, and the second region is set
to have an average contractile force greater than that of the first
region.
In a disposable diaper disclosed in Japanese Patent Application
Laid-Open No. 2010-69023 (Document 4), a front part is divided from
the waist opening side into a first expansible region, a second
expansible region, and a third expansible region, a rear part is
divided from the waist opening side into a fourth expansible
region, a fifth expansible region, and a sixth expansible region,
and the elongation stresses of the respective expansible regions
has the following correlation: sixth expansible region>second
expansible region>third expansible region.gtoreq.fifth
expansible region>first expansible region, and sixth expansible
region>second expansible region>third expansible region fifth
expansible region>fourth expansible region.
In a pants-type disposable diaper disclosed in Japanese Patent
Application Laid-Open No. 2001-178770 (Document 5), front and rear
parts are divided from the waist opening side into a waist section,
an upper side section, and a lower side section, and elastic
expansion forces of the respective sections has the following
correlation: lower side section.gtoreq.upper side section>waist
section.
In a pants-type disposable diaper disclosed in Japanese Patent
Application Laid-Open No. 2006-61682 (Document 6), when the
disposable diaper is worn, a first region located between a waist
opening and leg openings has the highest pressure applied thereto,
the waist opening has the second highest pressure applied thereto,
and a second region located between the first region and the leg
openings has the lowest pressure applied thereto. Such a structure
not only effectively prevents the diaper slipping off when being
worn, but also effectively prevents liquid leakage because the
diaper fits the body of a wearer closely without discomfort.
Incidentally, in pants-type disposable diapers, a pair of strip
projecting parts, each projecting laterally from a line of
connection between front and rear parts, is formed when the front
and rear parts are joined to each other on both right and left
sides. The strip projecting parts are less flexible than the other
parts of the disposable diaper because they are formed by joining
laminated sheet members such as nonwoven fabric by thermal
compression bonding, for example. Thus, in a state where the
disposable diaper is worn, the upper end portions of the strip
projecting parts may cut into the body of the wearer and make the
wearer uncomfortable due to contraction of a waist elastic member
provided in a waist region extending along the edge of the waist
opening.
Documents 1 to 6 have proposed to reduce the contractile force in
the waist region to smaller than that in the other region, but it
is necessary to maintain the contractile force in the waist region
at a certain level or higher in order to prevent the disposable
diaper from slipping off the wearer. Thus, with the structures as
disclosed in Documents 1 to 6, the upper end portions of the strip
projecting parts will still cut into the body of a wearer.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The present invention is intended for a pants-type absorbent
article, and it is an object of the present invention to suppress
cutting in of the upper end portions of the strip projecting parts
into the body of a wearer.
The absorbent article according to the present invention includes
an outer covering sheet having a waist opening at an upper end and
a pair of leg openings in a lower portion, and an absorbent body
attached to a wearer side of the outer covering sheet to absorb
body waste discharged from a wearer. The outer covering sheet
includes a front part to be located on a belly side of the wearer,
a rear part to be located on a back side of the wearer, both side
ends of the rear part being connected to both side ends of the
front part, a crotch part continuous with the front part and the
rear part, a pair of strip projecting parts formed by joining inner
surfaces of areas of the front part that are laterally continuous
with both of the side ends of the front part and inner surfaces of
areas of the rear part that are laterally continuous with both of
the side ends of the rear part, each of the pair of strip
projecting parts having a strip-like shape that extends in an
up-down direction and projecting laterally from a line of
connection between the front part and the rear part, a waist
elastic member joined to the front part and the rear part in a
waist region located along an edge of the waist opening, and
configured to contract to form a waist opening gather, leg elastic
members joined to the crotch part along edges of the pair of leg
openings and configured to contract to form a pair of leg opening
gathers, and a middle elastic member joined to the front part and
the rear part in a space in the up-down direction between the waist
elastic member and the leg elastic members, and configured to
contract to form a middle gather. The waist elastic member includes
a first waist elastic member disposed approximately in parallel
with the edge of aid waist opening in a first waist region that is
an upper part of the waist region, and a second waist elastic
member disposed approximately in parallel with the first waist
elastic member in a second waist region that is a region of the
waist region below the first waist region. In a state in which the
outer covering sheet is elongated in a right-left direction
perpendicular to the up-down direction, a first unit contractile
force that is a contractile force in the right-left direction per
unit width of the first waist region in the up-down direction is
smaller than a second unit contractile force that is a contractile
force in the right-left direction per unit width of the second
waist region in the up-down direction.
According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress
cutting in of the upper end portions of the strip projecting parts
into the body of a wearer.
Preferably, the waist region is located above an upper end of the
absorbent body. In addition, the waist region has a width of 50 mm
or less in the up-down direction.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the outer
covering sheet includes a folded portion formed by folding the
outer covering sheet toward a wearer at the edge of the waist
opening, and the waist elastic member is disposed between the
folded portion and a portion of the outer covering sheet that faces
the folded portion. Accordingly, the upper end portions of the
strip projecting parts are formed by the fold in the continuous
sheet member. It is thus possible to further suppress cutting in of
the upper end portions of the strip projecting parts into the body
of a wearer, as compared with the case in which a cut edge of the
sheet member forms the upper end portions of the strip projecting
parts.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the waist
region is formed by laminating a plurality of sheet members, and
the number of sheet members in the first waist region is less than
the number of sheet members in the second waist region.
Accordingly, it is possible to further suppress cutting in of the
upper end portions of the strip projecting parts into the body of a
wearer.
In one aspect of the present invention, the outer covering sheet
includes an auxiliary region between the second waist region and a
middle elastic region in which the middle elastic member is
disposed, and in a state in which the outer covering sheet is
elongated in the right-left direction, a contractile force in the
right-left direction per unit width of the auxiliary region in the
up-down direction is smaller than any of a contractile force in the
right-left direction per unit width of the middle elastic region in
the up-down direction, the first unit contractile force, and the
second unit contractile force. This makes it easy to firmly grasp
the absorbent article by hooking fingers deep into the auxiliary
region, enabling the absorbent article to be readily moved along
the body of a wearer.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the
present invention will become more apparent from the following
detailed description of the present invention when taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front view of a disposable diaper according to an
embodiment;
FIG. 2 is a rear view of the disposable diaper;
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the expanded disposable diaper;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the disposable diaper; and
FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the disposable
diaper.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT
FIGS. 1 and 2 are respectively front and rear views of a disposable
diaper 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention (i.e.,
views of areas located respectively on the belly and back sides of
a wearer). As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the disposable diaper 1 is a
pants-type absorbent article having a waist opening 11 at the upper
end (i.e., the end on the upper side in FIGS. 1 and 2) and a pair
of leg openings 12 in the lower portion, and is configured to
receive body waste discharged from the wearer.
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the laid out disposable diaper 1 viewed
from the wearer side. The disposable diaper 1 includes an outer
covering sheet 4 having the waist opening 11 and the pair of leg
openings 12 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) and a generally sheet-like
absorbent body 20 that is attached to the inner surface of the
outer covering sheet 4 (i.e., the surface on the wearer side) and
is configured to absorb body waste discharged from the wearer. The
outer covering sheet 4 includes an outer covering sheet main body
40, and leg elastic members 43, a waist elastic member 44 and a
middle elastic member 45 which are joined to the outer covering
sheet main body 40.
In the disposable diaper 1, the area on the upper side in FIG. 3
covers the front side (skin on the belly side) of the wearer, and
the area on the lower side in FIG. 3 covers the rear side (skin on
the back side) of the wearer. In the following description, areas
of the outer covering sheet main body 40 that are located on the
belly and back sides of the wearer are respectively referred to as
a "front part 401" and a "rear part 403," and an area that is
located between and continuous with the front part 401 and the rear
part 403 and covers a groin part of the wearer is referred to as a
"crotch part 402." In the disposable diaper 1, the outer covering
sheet 4 includes the front part 401, the crotch part 402, and the
rear part 403, and the absorbent body 20 extends from the front
part 401 of the outer covering sheet 4 to the rear part 403 via the
crotch part 402.
In the manufacture of the disposable diaper 1, the outer covering
sheet 4 is folded at the crotch part 402 together with the
absorbent body 20, and the inner surfaces of strip-like areas 404
that are located on both right and left sides of the front part 401
when the crotch part 402 is facing downward are joined to the inner
surfaces of strip-like areas 405 that are located on both right and
left sides of the rear part 403 by heat sealing through the
application of heat and pressure. The inner surfaces of the
strip-like areas 404 are surfaces that are laterally continuous
with both of the side ends of the inner surface of the front part
401 that comes in contact with the wearer, and are surfaces on the
near side in FIG. 3. The inner surfaces of the strip-like areas 405
are surfaces that are laterally continuous with both of the side
ends of the inner surface of the rear part 403 that comes in
contact with the wearer, and are surfaces on the near side in FIG.
3.
By joining the pair of strip-like areas 404 and the pair of
strip-like areas 405 in this way, both of the side ends of the
front part 401 and both of the side ends of the rear part 403 are
connected as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, forming the waist
opening 11 at the upper ends of the front part 401 and the rear
part 403. Also, the pair of leg openings 12 is respectively formed
on the right and left sides of the crotch part 402 below the front
part 401 and the rear part 403, and a pair of strip projecting
portions 13 that extend in an up-down direction is formed between
the waist opening 11 and the pair of the leg openings 12. The strip
projecting portions 13 are each a strip-like area that projects
laterally from a line of connection 400 between the front part 401
and the rear part 403.
FIG. 4 is cross-sectional view of the disposable diaper 1, taken
along line IV-IV (i.e., at the crotch part 402) in FIG. 3. In FIG.
4, for convenience of illustration, constituent elements of the
disposable diaper 1 are illustrated separately from one another. As
illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the absorbent body 20 includes a
generally sheet-like main body part 2 and a pair of side sheets 3
that is disposed on both side portions of the main body part 2
(i.e., both sides in a right-left direction perpendicular to the
up-down direction) and that extends along approximately the entire
longitudinal length of the main body part 2. The main body part 2
includes a top sheet 21, a back sheet 23, and an absorbent core 22
disposed between the top sheet 21 and the back sheet 23 as
illustrated in FIG. 4. In order to facilitate understanding of the
illustration, the contour of the absorbent core 22 of the absorbent
body 20 is shown by the bold broken line in FIG. 3 (the same
applies to FIGS. 1 and 2).
As illustrated in FIG. 3, the width of the absorbent core 22 at its
both end portions in a longitudinal direction is greater than the
width of the absorbent core 22 at its central portion in the
longitudinal direction. In other words, the absorbent core 22 has a
so-called hourglass shape. The back sheet 23 in FIG. 4 is joined to
the outer covering sheet 4 with a hot-melt adhesive or the like,
and accordingly the absorbent body 20 is fixed to the outer
covering sheet 4.
As illustrated in FIG. 4, the pair of side sheets 3 each includes a
strip-like joining part 33 and a side wall part 34, the strip-like
joining part 33 being an area on one side of a folding line 39 that
extends along the entire length in the longitudinal direction, and
the side wall part 34 being an area on the other side of the
folding line 39. The pair of joining parts 33 is joined with a
hot-melt adhesive to the upper side (i.e., the wearer side) of the
main body part 2 along approximately the entire longitudinal length
in the vicinity of lateral edges of the main body part 2. The pair
of side wall parts 34 corresponds to areas that are continuous with
the pair of joining parts 33 at the outer edges of the joining
parts 33 in the right-left direction, i.e., the folding lines 39,
and extend along approximately the entire longitudinal length of
the main body part 2 on both side portions of the main body part
2.
The pair of side wall parts 34 is overlaid on the joining parts 33
at both end portions in the longitudinal direction and is fixed to
the joining parts 33 by, for example, heat seal bonding, ultrasonic
bonding, or bonding with a hot-melt adhesive. Side wall elastic
members 35 are joined to free edges of the side wall parts 34, and
the side wall elastic members 35 are configured to contract to form
gathers.
FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the disposable diaper
1, taken along line V-V in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 shows the front side of
the disposable diaper 1. The rear-side structure of the disposable
diaper 1 is the same as the front-side structure shown in FIG. 5.
As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the outer covering sheet main body
40 of the outer covering sheet 4 includes a first outer covering
sheet 41 and a second outer covering sheet 42 that is directly
laminated on the inner surface (i.e., the wearer side) of the first
outer covering sheet 41 and joined thereto with a hot-melt adhesive
or the like.
As illustrated in FIG. 5, the outer covering sheet main body 40
further includes an end sheet 5 that is directly laminated on the
inner surface of the second outer covering sheet 42 and joined
thereto with a hot-melt adhesive or the like. The end sheet 5 is
provided along approximately the entire width of the outer covering
sheet 4 in the right-left direction of the disposable diaper 1
(i.e., the lateral direction in FIG. 3) as illustrated in FIG. 3
and sandwiches the upper end portion of the absorbent body 20
between itself and the second outer covering sheet 42 to fix the
absorbent body 20 as illustrated in FIG. 5.
An upper end 421 of the second outer covering sheet 42 is at
approximately the same level in the up-down direction as an upper
end 51 of the end sheet 5 and is spaced from and downward of an
edge 111 of the waist opening 11, which is an upper end of the
first outer covering sheet 41. The upper end 421 of the second
outer covering sheet 42 and the upper end 51 of the end sheet 5 are
located above an upper end 25 of the absorbent body 20.
The top sheet 21 of the absorbent body 20 illustrated in FIG. 4 is
a liquid-permeable sheet material that quickly catches moisture in
body waste discharged from the wearer and moves the moisture to the
absorbent core 22. As the top sheet 21, liquid-permeable nonwoven
fabric (e.g., point-bonded nonwoven fabric, air-through nonwoven
fabric, or spun-bonded nonwoven fabric) is used, for example, which
is formed from hydrophobic fibers (e.g., polypropylene,
polyethylene, polyester, polyamide, or nylon) having a surface that
has undergone hydrophilic treatment using a surfactant.
Alternatively, nonwoven fabric (e.g., spunlace nonwoven fabric)
formed from hydrophilic fibers such as cellulose, rayon, or cotton
may be used for the top sheet 21.
The absorbent core 22 is formed by mixing super-absorbent material
such as granular super-absorbent polymer (SAP) or super-absorbent
fibers with hydrophilic fibers such as comminuted pulp fibers or
cellulose fibers and then wrapping the mixture in tissue paper, a
liquid-permeable nonwoven fabric, or the like. The absorbent core
22 absorbs and quickly traps moisture permeating through the top
sheet 21. The tissue paper, liquid-permeable nonwoven fabric, or
the like that is wrapped around the hydrophilic fibers is joined to
the hydrophilic fibers and water-absorbent material with a hot-melt
adhesive, thereby preventing deformation of the hydrophilic fibers
and detachment of the water-absorbent material (in particular,
detachment after water absorption). In the present embodiment, the
absorbent core 22 includes pulp fibers and SAP.
As the back sheet 23, water-repellent or liquid-impervious nonwoven
fabric formed from hydrophobic fibers (e.g., spunbond nonwoven
fabric, meltblown nonwoven fabric, or spunbond-meltblown-spunbond
(SMS) nonwoven fabric) or a water-repellent or liquid-impervious
plastic film is used to prevent moisture or the like in body waste
that has reached the back sheet 23 from leaking to the outside of
the main body part 2. In the case of using a plastic film for the
back sheet 23, it is preferable to use a permeable (breathable)
plastic film from the viewpoint of preventing the disposable diaper
1 from becoming sweaty and improving the comfort of the wearer.
As a sheet main body of the side sheet 3, water-repellent or liquid
impermeable nonwoven fabric formed from hydrophobic fibers (e.g.,
spun-bonded nonwoven fabric, meltblown nonwoven fabric, or SMS
nonwoven fabric) is used. As the side wall elastic members 35,
polyurethane yarn, a strip-like polyurethane film, or filiform or
strip-like natural rubber is used, for example. In the present
embodiment, polyurethane yarn is used for the side wall elastic
members 35.
Similarly to the back sheet 23, as the first outer covering sheet
41 and the second outer covering sheet 42 of the outer covering
sheet main body 40 and the end sheet 5 illustrated in FIG. 5,
water-repellent or liquid impermeable nonwoven fabric formed from
hydrophobic fiber or plastic films are used, or laminated sheets
where such nonwoven fabric and plastic film are laminated, are
used. It is preferable to use the plastic films having vapor
permeability (breathability). Alternatively, as the first outer
covering sheet 41, the second outer covering sheet 42, and the end
sheet 5, similarly to the top sheet 21, nonwoven fabric formed from
hydrophilic fibers or liquid-permeable nonwoven fabric formed from
hydrophobic fibers that have undergone hydrophilic treatment may be
used.
In a preferable example, the disposable diaper 1 uses spun-bonded
nonwoven fabric, which is formed by melting a material that
contains a thermoplastic resin (e.g., an olefin resin or a
polyester resin) and a surfactant, for the first outer covering
sheet 41 and the second outer covering sheet 42. Here, the
compounding ratio of the surfactant in the material is preferably
0.5 percent by mass or higher, and more preferably 1.0 percent by
mass or higher, and is preferably 5.0 percent by mass or less, and
more preferably 3.5 percent by mass or less. The olefin resin is
preferably polyethylene or polypropylene, and the polyester resin
is preferably polyethyleneterephthalate (PET),
polybutyleneterephtalate (PBT), or polytrimethyleneterephtalate
(PTT). The fineness of the nonwoven fabric is preferably 1.0 dtex
or higher and is preferably lower than 1.5 dtex. The weight of the
nonwoven fabric is preferably 10 g/m.sup.2 or more and is
preferably 35 g/m.sup.2 or less. From the viewpoint of
breathability and strength, the weight of the nonwoven fabric is
more preferably 15 g/m.sup.2 or more and is more preferably 25
g/m.sup.2 or less.
The first outer covering sheet 41 of the outer covering sheet 4
includes a folded portion 46 formed by folding the first outer
covering sheet 41 toward the wearer at the edge 111 of the waist
opening 11. A lower end 461 of the folded portion 46 is located
below the upper end 421 of the second outer covering sheet 42 and
the upper end 51 of the end sheet 5 and is located above the upper
end 25 of the absorbent body 20. An upper end portion of the second
outer covering sheet 42 and an upper end portion of the end sheet 5
are sandwiched between the folded portion 46 and an opposing
portion 47 that is an area of the first outer covering sheet 41
that faces the folded portion 46. The folded portion 46 is joined
to the opposing portion 47 and the upper end portion of the end
sheet 5.
Between the folded portion 46 and the opposing portion 47 and along
the edge 111 of the waist opening 11 is disposed a waist elastic
member 44 that extends in the right-left direction as shown in FIG.
3 and is joined to the front part 401 and the rear part 403. In the
disposable diaper 1, contraction of the waist elastic member 44
causes contraction of the outer covering sheet main body 40,
thereby forming waist opening gathers that come in contact with the
wearer. In the present embodiment, the waist elastic member 44
includes six elastic threads as shown in FIG. 5. In the following
description, two of these elastic threads that are closest to the
edge 111 of the waist opening 11, which is an upper end of the
folded portion 46, are referred to as "first elastic threads 441,"
and the other four elastic threads located below the first elastic
threads 441 are referred to as "second elastic threads 442." The
two first elastic threads 441 are also collectively referred to as
a "first waist elastic member 443," and the four second elastic
threads 442 are also collectively referred to as a "second waist
elastic member 444." In other words, the waist elastic member 44
includes the first waist elastic member 443 that is disposed
approximately in parallel with the edge 111 of the waist opening
11, and the second waist elastic member 444 that is disposed
approximately in parallel with the first waist elastic member
443.
The two first elastic threads 441 are arranged in the up-down
direction and extend approximately in parallel with the edge 111 of
the waist opening 11. The four second elastic threads 442 are
arranged at approximately an equal pitch in the up-down direction
and extend approximately in parallel with the plurality of first
elastic threads 441. The pitch in the up-down direction between the
first elastic threads 441, or in other words, a distance in the
up-down direction between the two first elastic threads 441, is
greater than the pitch in the up-down direction between the second
elastic threads 442, or in other words, a distance in the up-down
direction between any two second elastic threads 442 that are
adjacent to each other in the up-down direction. In this way, the
pitch of the first elastic threads 441 and the pitch of the second
elastic threads 442 differ from each other. The pitch of the first
elastic threads 441 and the pitch of the second elastic threads 442
are respectively 7 mm and 3.5 mm, for example. A distance in the
up-down direction between the lower first elastic thread 441 and
the uppermost second elastic thread 442 is approximately equal to
the distance in the up-down direction between the two first elastic
threads 441 (i.e., the pitch of the first elastic threads 441).
The two first elastic threads 441 and the upper two second elastic
threads 442 among the four second elastic threads 442 are disposed
between the folded portion 46 and the opposing portion 47 of the
first outer covering sheet 41 above the upper end 421 of the second
outer covering sheet 42 and the upper end 51 of the end sheet 5,
and are directly joined to the folded portion 46 and the opposing
portion 47. The lower two second elastic threads 442 among the four
second elastic threads 442 are disposed between the folded portion
46 and the end sheet 5 below the upper end 421 of the second outer
covering sheet 42 and the upper end 51 of the end sheet 5, and are
directly joined to the folded portion 46 and the end sheet 5.
If a region of the outer covering sheet 4 where the waist elastic
member 44 is disposed is referred to as a "waist region 406", and
in the waist region 406 which is a strip-like region extending
along the edge 111 of the waist opening 11, regions on which the
first waist elastic member 443 and the second waist elastic member
444 are respectively disposed are respectively referred to as a
"first waist region 407" and a "second waist region 408", the first
waist region 407 is a strip-like upper region of the waist region
406, and the second waist region 408 is a strip-like lower region
of the waist region 406 and is located below the first waist region
407.
As described above, the waist region 406 is formed by laminating a
plurality of sheet members that include the folded portion 46 and
the opposing portion 47 of the first outer covering sheet 41, the
second outer covering sheet 42, and the end sheet 5. The first
waist region 407 and the upper part of the second waist region 408
are formed by the folded portion 46 and the opposing portion 47 of
the first outer covering sheet 41, and the lower part of the second
waist region 408 is formed by the folded portion 46, the opposing
portion 47, the second outer covering sheet 42, and the end sheet
5. In other words, the number of sheet members in the first waist
region 407 is two and less than the number (i.e., four) of sheet
members in the lower part of the second waist region 408.
Specifically, the first waist region 407 is a region that extends
in the up-down direction from the edge 111 of the waist opening 11
to the middle of the distance in the up-down direction between the
lower first elastic thread 441 and the uppermost second elastic
thread 442. The second waist region 408 is a region that extends
from the middle of the distance in the up-down direction between
the lower first elastic thread 441 and the uppermost second elastic
thread 442 (i.e., the lower end of the first waist region 407) to a
position that is downwardly distant from the lowermost second
elastic threads 442 by a distance equivalent to a half of the pitch
of the second elastic threads 442. The lower end of the second
waist region 408 is located above the lower end 461 of the folded
portion 46 (see FIG. 5). The waist region 406 is located above the
upper end 25 of the absorbent body 20 and preferably has a width of
50 mm or less in the up-down direction.
As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the leg elastic members 43 are
disposed along edges 121 of the pair of leg openings 12 and joined
between the first and second outer covering sheets 41 and 42 of the
outer covering sheet 4 (see FIG. 4). The upper end portions of each
of the leg elastic member 43 on both sides are joined to the front
part 401 and the rear part 403, and the central part of each of the
leg elastic members 43 between the upper end portions is joined to
the crotch part 402 of the outer covering sheet main body 40. The
leg elastic members 43 each include a plurality of leg elastic
threads 431. In the disposable diaper 1, contraction of the leg
elastic members 43 causes contraction of the outer covering sheet
main body 40, thereby forming leg gathers that come in contact with
the circumference of the legs of the wearer.
The middle elastic member 45 is disposed between the waist elastic
member 44 and the upper end portions of the leg elastic members 43
in the up-down direction, extends in the right-left direction, and
is joined to the front part 401 and the rear part 403. As
illustrated in FIG. 5, the middle elastic member 45 is disposed
between the first outer covering sheet 41 and the second outer
covering sheet 42. The middle elastic member 45 includes a
plurality of (in the present embodiment, 12) middle elastic threads
451a and 451b that are arranged in the up-down direction and extend
approximately in parallel with the first and second elastic threads
441 and 442 of the waist elastic member 44. In the following
description, the upper two of the middle elastic threads that are
closest to the second elastic threads 442 are referred to as "first
middle elastic threads 451a," and the lower ten of the middle
elastic threads that are located below first middle elastic threads
451a are referred to as "second middle elastic threads 451b." The
two first middle elastic threads 451a are also collectively
referred to as a "first middle elastic member 45a", and the ten
second middle elastic threads 451b are also collectively referred
to as a "second middle elastic member 45b." In other words, the
middle elastic member 45 includes the first middle elastic member
45a that is disposed approximately in parallel with the edge 111 of
the waist opening 11, and the second middle elastic member 45b that
is disposed approximately in parallel with the first middle elastic
member 45a.
In the present embodiment, the interval between the two first
middle elastic threads 451a is 3.5 mm. The interval between any two
second middle elastic threads 451b that are adjacent to each other
alternately changes between 7 mm and 14 mm in the up-down
direction. In other words, taking any two second middle elastic
threads 451b that are disposed at an interval of 7 mm as a pair of
second middle elastic threads, the plurality of pairs of second
middle elastic threads are disposed at an interval of 14 mm. As
described above, the regularity of arrangement of the plurality of
first middle elastic threads 451a in the up-down direction differs
from that of the plurality of second middle elastic threads 451b.
Note that the second middle elastic threads 451b may be disposed at
a fixed pitch in the up-down direction.
In the disposable diaper 1, contraction of the middle elastic
member 45 causes contraction of the outer covering sheet main body
40, thereby forming middle gathers that come in contact with the
lower abdominal and hip regions of the wearer. In the following
description, a strip-like region of the outer covering sheet 4
where the middle elastic member 45 is disposed is referred to as a
"middle elastic region 409." Specifically, the middle elastic
region 409 is defined as a region that extends in the up-down
direction from the uppermost first middle elastic thread 451a to
the lowermost second middle elastic thread 451b. Similarly to the
waist region 406, the middle elastic region 409 is also located
above the upper end 25 of the absorbent body 20.
Assuming that in the strip-like middle elastic region 409 extending
approximately in parallel with the edge 111 of the waist opening
11, regions where the first middle elastic member 45a and the
second middle elastic member 45b are respectively disposed are
respectively referred to as a "first middle elastic region 409a"
and a "second middle elastic region 409b", the first middle elastic
region 409a is a strip-like upper region of the middle elastic
region 409, and the second middle elastic region 409b is a
strip-like lower region of the middle elastic region 409 and
located below the first middle elastic region 409a. Specifically,
the first middle elastic region 409a is a region that extends in
the up-down direction from the uppermost first middle elastic
thread 451a to the middle of the distance between the lower first
middle elastic thread 451a and the uppermost second middle elastic
thread 451b. The second middle elastic region 409b is a region that
extends in the up-down direction from the middle of the distance
between the lower first middle elastic thread 451a and the
uppermost second middle elastic thread 451b (i.e., the lower end of
the first middle elastic region 409a) to the lowermost second
middle elastic thread 451b.
Between the second waist region 408 and the middle elastic region
409 of (the outer covering sheet main body 40 of) the outer
covering sheet 4 is provided an auxiliary region 410 that has no
elastic members disposed therein. An upper end of the auxiliary
region 410 is in contact with the lower end of the second waist
region 408, and a lower end of the auxiliary region 410 is in
contact with the upper end of the middle elastic region 409. The
width of the auxiliary region 410 in the up-down direction is
preferably two times or more of the pitch of the second elastic
threads 442, and more preferably three times or more of the pitch
of the second elastic threads 442, and is less than or equal to the
width of the waist region 406 in the up-down direction. In the
present embodiment, the auxiliary region 410 has a width of 10 mm.
In the disposable diaper 1, all of the first and second elastic
threads 441 and 442 of the waist elastic member 44 and all of the
first middle elastic threads 451a of the first middle elastic
member 45a are colored differently from the elastic threads of the
other elastic members (i.e., the second middle elastic member 45b
and the leg elastic members 43). Specifically, the elastic threads
of the other elastic members have a color of the same hue (e.g.,
white) as the outer covering sheet main body 40, whereas the first
and second elastic threads 441 and 442 and the first middle elastic
threads 451a have a color of different hue from that of the outer
covering sheet main body 40. Thus, roughly the upper end of the
auxiliary region 410 is visually recognizable by the second elastic
threads 442 in the vicinity of the lower end of the second waist
region 408, and the lower end of the auxiliary region 410 is
visually recognizable by the first middle elastic threads 451a at
the upper end of the middle elastic region 409. Accordingly, the
auxiliary region 410 is substantially visually recognizable.
Alternatively, the auxiliary region 410 may be made visually
recognizable by, for example, printing a strip-like pattern
extending in the right-left direction on the auxiliary region 410
of the outer covering sheet main body 40.
In the present embodiment, the plurality of first elastic threads
441 and the plurality of second elastic threads 442 of the waist
elastic member 44, the plurality of leg elastic threads 431 of the
leg elastic members 43 (see FIGS. 1 and 2), and the plurality of
middle elastic threads 451a and 451b of the middle elastic member
45 are all polyurethane yarns having the same elastic modulus and
the same fineness. The fineness of the polyurethane yarns is in the
range of 100 to 2500 dtex, for example. These elastic threads may,
of course, have different finenesses, and in another preferable
example, the disposable diaper 1 may use first and second elastic
threads 441 and 442 having a fineness of 940 dtex and middle
elastic threads 451a and 451b having a fineness of 640 dtex.
These elastic threads are fixed to the outer covering sheet main
body 40 by heat seal bonding or bonding with a hot-melt adhesive.
Preferably, the first elastic threads 441 are fixed to the outer
covering sheet main body 40 with an adhesive applied to the first
elastic threads 441. More preferably, no adhesive is applied to the
first waist region 407 itself of the outer covering sheet main body
40 (the first outer covering sheet 41 and the folded portion 46)
from the viewpoint of improving the texture of the edge of the
waist opening 1. On the other hand, in the second waist region 408,
an adhesive may be applied to both or one of the second elastic
threads 442 and the second waist region 408 of the outer covering
sheet main body 40. In the present embodiment, an adhesive is
applied to the second waist region 408 of the folded portion 46 to
fix the folded portion 46 to the opposing portion 47 and the upper
end portion of the end sheet 5, and no adhesive is applied to the
first waist region 407 itself and to the auxiliary region 410
itself. Preferably, from the viewpoint of improving breathability
in the middle elastic region 409, the middle elastic threads 451a
and 451b of the middle elastic member 45 are fixed to the outer
covering sheet main body 40 with an adhesive applied to the middle
elastic threads 451a and 451b, without any adhesive being applied
to the middle elastic region 409 itself of the outer covering sheet
main body 40. In this case, it is possible to further improve
breathability by applying an adhesive to some of the middle elastic
threads 451a and 451b, only in areas in the vicinity of the pair of
strip projecting parts 13, i.e., only at both end portions of some
of the middle elastic threads 451a and 451b.
The elongation rate of the first elastic threads 441 when joined to
the first waist region 407 is equal to the elongation rate of the
second elastic threads 442 when joined to the second waist region
408. The number of first elastic threads 441 per unit width of the
first waist region 407 in the up-down direction, that is, a value
obtained by dividing the total number of first elastic threads 441
by the width of the first waist region 407 in the up-down
direction, is less than the number of second elastic threads 442
per unit width of the second waist region 408 in the up-down
direction. Thus, in a state in which the outer covering sheet 4 is
elongated in the right-left direction (e.g., in a state in which
the disposable diaper 1 is worn), a first unit contractile force
that is a contractile force in the right-left direction per unit
width of the first waist region 407 in the up-down direction is
smaller than a second unit contractile force that is a contractile
force in the right-left direction per unit width of the second
waist region 408 in the up-down direction.
Accordingly, the second waist region 408 of the waist region 406
closely fits the waist area of the wearer, the first waist region
407 comes into relatively soft contact with the waist area of the
wearer. As a result, cutting in of the upper end portions of the
pair of strip projecting parts 13 into the skin of the wearer can
be suppressed. In addition, by setting a relatively large second
unit contractile force while setting a relatively small first unit
contractile force so as to maintain the contractile force in the
entire waist region 406, it is possible to closely fit the first
waist region 407 and the second waist region 408 to the wearer and
to prevent the disposable diaper 1 from slipping off in the up-down
direction when being worn. The first unit contractile force is
preferably 70% or less of the second unit contractile force, and in
the present embodiment, the first unit contractile force is
approximately 50% of the second unit contractile force.
Here, when a pants-type disposable diaper is put on or taken off,
the wearer's feet are put into the pair of leg openings of the
disposable diaper and then the disposable diaper is pulled up along
the body of a wearer, or the disposable diaper being worn by the
wearer is pulled down along the body of the wearer. At this time,
the waist opening is widened in order to avoid the edge of the
waist opening catching on part of the body of the wearer. In such a
case, in the disposable diaper 1 in which the first unit
contractile force is smaller than the second unit contractile
force, the edge of the waist opening 11 can be widened by a small
force. It is thus possible to easily move the disposable diaper 1
along the body of the wearer.
From the viewpoint of preventing the disposable diaper 1 from
slipping off in the up-down direction when being worn, the
contractile force per unit width of the entire waist region 406 is
preferably 1 cN/mm or more (more preferably, 2 cN/mm or more). The
contractile force per unit width of the entire waist region 406 is
measured as described below, using a "TENSILON (model type:
RTG-1210)" manufactured by A&D Co., Ltd. as a measuring
machine. Note that the first unit contractile force, the second
unit contractile force, and a middle unit contractile force which
will be described later, are also measured by the same method.
First, a test specimen is obtained by cutting out the waist region
406 of the disposable diaper 1 along the entire width thereof in
the up-down direction. Next, both ends of the test specimen in the
right-left direction (i.e., the direction in which the first
elastic threads 441 and the second elastic threads 442 extend) are
held by clamp portions of the measuring machine, and the test
specimen is pulled in the right-left direction, and the load until
the test specimen returns to its original shape is measured. At
this time, the test specimen is pulled to up to 90% of the length
in the right-left direction of a test specimen that is not provided
with the first elastic threads 441 and the second elastic threads
442 (i.e., the length of a test specimen that does not contract).
The pulling of the test specimen and measurement of load are
repeated a plurality of times. Then, the measurement results are
used to obtain the load at the time when the length of the test
specimen is 180% of the length of the test specimen before being
pulled (i.e., the length of the test specimen that contracts due to
the first elastic threads 441 and the second elastic threads 442)
and to obtain an average load that is an average value of the loads
obtained by the plurality of measurements. Then, the average load
is divided by the width of the test specimen in the up-down
direction so as to obtain the contractile force per unit width of
the test specimen.
As described above, in the outer covering sheet 4, the number of
sheet members in the first waist region 407 is reduced to less than
the number of sheet members in the second waist region 408. This
reduces the number of sheet members constituting the upper end
portions of the pair of strip projecting parts 13, thus making it
possible to reduce stiffness. As a result, it is possible to
further suppress cutting in of the upper end portions of the pair
of strip projecting parts 13 into the skin of the wearer. In
addition, the edge of the waist opening 11 can be widened by a
small force.
The folded portion 46 is formed by folding the first outer covering
sheet 41 of the outer covering sheet 4 at the edge 111 of the waist
opening 11, and the waist elastic member 44 is disposed between the
folded portion 46 and the opposing portion 47. In this way, the
edge 111 of the waist opening 11 and the upper end portions of the
pair of strip projecting parts 13 are formed by the fold in the
continuous sheet member. It is thus possible to further suppress
cutting in of them into the skin of the wearer, as compared with
the case in which a cut edge of the sheet member forms the edge 111
of the waist opening 11 and the upper end portions of the strip
projecting parts 13. Moreover, in the waist region 406, the pitch
in the up-down direction between the plurality of first elastic
threads 441 is made greater than the pitch in the up-down direction
between the plurality of second elastic threads 442. Thus, the
first unit contractile force in the first waist region 407 can be
readily reduced to smaller than the second unit contractile force
in the second waist region 408.
In the disposable diaper 1, the elongation rate of the middle
elastic threads 451a and 451b when joined to the middle elastic
region 409 is equal to or lower than the elongation rate of the
first elastic threads 441 when joined to the first waist region
407. The number (average number) of middle elastic threads 451a and
451b per unit width of the middle elastic region 409 in the up-down
direction is less than the number of first elastic threads 441 per
unit width of the first waist region 407 in the up-down direction.
Thus, in the state in which the outer covering sheet 4 is elongated
in the right-left direction, the middle unit contractile force that
is an average contractile force in the right-left direction per
unit width of the middle elastic region 409 in the up-down
direction is smaller than the first unit contractile force and the
second unit contractile force described above. Accordingly, in the
middle elastic region 409, the disposable diaper 1 can closely fit
the wearer while preventing the skin of the wearer from being
excessively compressed.
As described above, in the outer covering sheet 4, no elastic
members are disposed in the auxiliary region 410 located between
the second waist region 408 and the middle elastic region 409.
Accordingly, in the state in which the outer covering sheet 4 is
elongated in the right-left direction, the contractile force in the
right-left direction per unit width of the auxiliary region 410 in
the up-down direction is smaller than any of the middle unit
contractile force, the first unit contractile force, and the second
unit contractile force. This allows the disposable diaper 1, when
being put on or taken off, to be easily and firmly grasped by
hooking fingers deep into the auxiliary region 410, enabling the
disposable diaper 1 to be easily moved along the body of the
wearer. The auxiliary region 410 can be easily recognized and used
because it is visually recognizable. From the viewpoint of hooking
fingers into the auxiliary region 410, the auxiliary region 410
preferably has a width of 7 mm or more in the up-down
direction.
In the case where the middle elastic region 409 is segmented into
the first middle elastic region 409a and the second middle elastic
region 409b, the elongation rate of the first middle elastic
threads 451a when joined to the first middle elastic region 409a is
equal to the elongation rate of the second middle elastic threads
451b when joined to the second middle elastic region 409b. The
number of first middle elastic threads 451a per unit width of the
first middle elastic region 409a in the up-down direction is
greater than the number of second middle elastic threads 451b per
unit width of the second middle elastic region 409b in the up-down
direction. Accordingly, in the state in which the outer covering
sheet 4 is elongated in the right-left direction, the contractile
force in the right-left direction per unit width of the first
middle elastic region 409a in the up-down direction is greater than
the contractile force in the right-left direction per unit width of
the second middle elastic region 409b in the up-down direction.
Because the contractile force in the first middle elastic region
409a adjacent to the auxiliary region 410 is greater than the
contractile force in the second middle elastic region 409b located
below the first middle elastic region 409a, the first middle
elastic region 409a readily tracks and pulls up around its entire
circumference when part of the auxiliary region 410 is pulled up at
the time of putting on or taking off the disposable diaper 1 in
which a great force acts locally on the auxiliary region 410, thus
enabling the disposable diaper 1 to be smoothly pulled up. In
addition, in the disposable diaper 1, the contractile force in the
first middle elastic region 409a can be easily made greater than
the contractile force in the second middle elastic region 409b by
setting the elongation rates of the first middle elastic threads
451a and the second middle elastic threads 451b in joining to the
same value and setting the pitch in the up-down direction between
the first middle elastic threads 451a to be smaller than the pitch
(average pitch) between the second middle elastic threads 451b.
Preferably, the elongation rate of the first middle elastic threads
451a when joined to the first middle elastic region 409a is equal
to the elongation rate of the second elastic threads 442 when
joined to the second waist region 408, and the number of first
middle elastic threads 451a per unit width of the first middle
elastic region 409a in the up-down direction is approximately equal
to the number of second elastic threads 442 per unit width of the
second waist region 408 in the up-down direction. Accordingly, in
the state in which the outer covering sheet 4 is elongated in the
right-left direction, the contractile force in the right-left
direction per unit width of the first middle elastic region 409a in
the up-down direction is approximately equal to the second unit
contractile force in the second waist region 408 (e.g., the
difference between these contractile forces is 10% or less of one
of the contractile forces). This allows the second waist region 408
and the first middle elastic region 409a located on both sides of
the auxiliary region 410 in the up-down direction to closely fit
the skin of the wearer at approximately the same pressure and
prevents the skin of the wearer from being compressed locally. In
the disposable diaper 1, the contractile force in the first middle
elastic region 409a can be readily made equal to the second unit
contractile force in the second waist region 408 by setting the
elongation rates of the first middle elastic threads 451a and the
second elastic threads 442 when joined to the same elongation rate
and setting the pitch in the up-down direction between the first
middle elastic threads 451a and the pitch in the up-down direction
between the second elastic threads 442 to the same pitch.
In the disposable diaper 1, the numbers of the first elastic
threads 441 and the second elastic threads 442 may be appropriately
changed as long as the first unit contractile force is smaller than
the second unit contractile force. For example, in the case where
the first waist elastic member 443 includes only one first elastic
thread 441, the upper end of the first waist region 407 is the edge
111 of the waist opening 11, and the lower end of the first waist
region 407 is at a position in the middle of the distance in the
up-down direction between the first elastic thread 441 and the
uppermost second elastic thread 442. In the case where the second
waist elastic member 444 includes only one second elastic thread
442, the upper end of second waist region 408 is at a position in
the middle of the distance in the up-down direction between the
second elastic thread 442 and the lowermost first elastic thread
441, and the lower end of the second waist region 408 is at a
position distant from and below the second elastic thread 442 by
the distance in the up-down direction between the upper end and the
second elastic thread 442. Similarly, the number of first middle
elastic threads 451a and second middle elastic threads 451b may be
changed.
As described above, in the disposable diaper 1, the first unit
contractile force in the first waist region 407 is reduced to
smaller than the second unit contractile force in the second waist
region 408 by setting the pitch of the plurality of first elastic
threads 441 in the up-down direction to be greater than the pitch
of the plurality of second elastic threads 442 in the up-down
direction. However, in the case where the first unit contractile
force is reduced to smaller than the second unit contractile force
by other methods, the pitch of the first elastic threads 441 may be
smaller than or equal to the pitch of the second elastic threads
442 (the same applies to the pitch of the first middle elastic
threads 451a and the pitch of the second middle elastic threads
451b).
For example, in the disposable diaper 1, the first unit contractile
force may be reduced to smaller than the second unit contractile
force by setting the elongation rate of each first elastic thread
441 when the plurality of first elastic threads 441 of the first
waist elastic member 443 are joined to the first waist region 407
to be lower than the elongation rate of each second elastic thread
442 when the plurality of second elastic threads 442a of the second
waist elastic member 444 are joined to the second waist region 408.
In this case as well, the first unit contractile force can be
reduced to smaller than the second unit contractile force.
Similarly, the contractile force in the first middle elastic region
409a may be made greater than the contractile force in the second
middle elastic region 409b by setting the elongation rate of each
first middle elastic thread 451a when the plurality of first middle
elastic threads 451a of the first middle elastic member 45a are
joined to the first middle elastic region 409a to be higher than
the elongation rate of each second middle elastic thread 451b when
the plurality of second middle elastic threads 451b of the second
middle elastic member 45b are joined to the second middle elastic
region 409b. The elongation rates of these elastic threads are
preferably in the range of 1.1 times to 5.0 times, for example.
Alternatively, the first unit contractile force may be reduced to
smaller than the second unit contractile force by using, as the
first waist elastic member 443, first elastic threads 441 that have
a lower elastic modulus than that of the second elastic threads 442
of the second waist elastic member 444, or first elastic threads
441 that have a lower fineness than that of the second elastic
threads 442. In either case, the first unit contractile force can
be readily reduced to smaller than the second unit contractile
force. Similarly, the contractile force in the first middle elastic
region 409a may be easily made greater than the contractile force
in the second middle elastic region 409b by using, as the first
middle elastic member 45a, first middle elastic threads 451a that
have a higher elastic modulus than that of the second middle
elastic threads 451b of the second middle elastic member 45b, or
first middle elastic threads 451a that have a higher fineness than
that of the second middle elastic threads 451b.
While the above has been a description of an embodiment of the
present invention, the present invention is not limited to the
embodiment described above, and various modifications are
possible.
In the state in which the outer covering sheet 4 is elongated in
the right-left direction, an elastic member may be provided in the
auxiliary region 410 as long as the contractile force in the
auxiliary region 410 is smaller than any of the middle unit
contractile force, the first unit contractile force, and the second
unit contractile force.
The leg elastic members 43, the waist elastic member 44, and the
middle elastic member 45 may be strip-like polyurethane films, or
filiform or strip natural rubber, for example, similarly to the
side wall elastic member 35 of the side sheet 3. Preferably,
polyurethane yarn covered with fibers is used from the viewpoint of
improving the texture of the disposable diaper 1.
While the middle unit contractile force is smaller than the first
unit contractile force and the second unit contractile force in the
above-described embodiment, the middle unit contractile force may
be greater than or equal to the first unit contractile force as
long as slipping-off in the up-down direction of the disposable
diaper 1, when being worn, is prevented by setting the contractile
force per unit width of the entire waist region 406 to an
appropriate value.
The structure of the above-described disposable diaper 1 may be
used for pants-type absorbent articles other than disposable
diapers.
The configurations of the above-described preferred embodiments and
variations may be appropriately combined as long as there are no
mutual inconsistencies.
While the invention has been shown and described in detail, the
foregoing description is in all aspects illustrative and not
restrictive. It is therefore understood that numerous modifications
and variations can be devised without departing from the scope of
the invention.
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST
1 Disposable diaper 4 Outer covering sheet 5 End sheet 11 Waist
opening 12 Leg opening 13 Strip projecting part 20 Absorbent body
25 Upper end 43 Leg elastic member 44 Waist elastic member 45
Middle elastic member 45a First middle elastic member 45b Second
middle elastic member 46 Folded portion 47 Opposing portion 111,
121 Edge 400 Line of connection 401 Front part 402 Crotch part 403
Rear part 404, 405 Area 406 Waist region 407 First waist region 408
Second waist region 409 Middle elastic region 409a First middle
elastic region 409b Second middle elastic region 410 Auxiliary
region 441 First elastic thread 442 Second elastic thread 443 First
waist elastic member 444 Second waist elastic member
* * * * *